# Smeared Portrait Campaigns The Nu-Way Weiners Pop Culture Ads are Comical Defacements By Shiori Mine | Published 2012-05-12 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nu-way-weiners-pop-culture-ads References: [brandingmagazine](http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2012/05/10/nu-way-weiners-smears-chili-dogs-on-the-faces-of-historical-pop-culture-icons/) & [brunnerworks](http://www.brunnerworks.com/) The glorious mess of consuming a delicious chili dog appears to be the inspiration behind these Nu-Way Weiners pop culture ads. Creative agency Brunner was enlisted to showcase the company’s rich history dating back to 1916. The [fast food chain](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/independent-burger-restaurant) first opened during World War I and remains a landmark in the southern state of Georgia. The simplistic ads feature American pop culture icons such as Uncle Sam, Kilroy, the smiley face and smiley face emoticon. Each figure appears to have scarfed down a serious chili dog meal, as the stains and smears remain on their iconic faces. The characters represent historic time periods. Uncle Sam symbolizes the revolutionary wars in American history, while the smiling emoticon epitomizes today’s growing online society. The Nu-Way Weiners pop culture ads are a creative and comical take on communicating the company’s time-honored history. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.7/10 - Popularity: 49% | Activity: 23% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Pop Culture Advertising:** Opportunity to use popular icons and symbols to create memorable and engaging ad campaigns. - **Food Marketing with a Twist:** Innovative approach to promoting food by incorporating humor and messiness into ads. - **Nostalgia Marketing:** Capitalizing on the appeal of nostalgia to create a connection with consumers and evoke positive emotions. ### Where This Applies - **Food and Beverage:** Opportunity for food businesses to create unique and memorable advertising campaigns. - **Creative and Advertising Agencies:** Opportunity for agencies to develop inventive and humorous marketing strategies for their clients. - **Fast Food Chains:** Potential for fast food chains to tap into nostalgia marketing and create campaigns that resonate with their target audience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Food-Inspired Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dish-pics.md) - [Film-Inspired Condiment Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heinz-smiles.md) - [Comical Love-Inspired Food Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-king-loveinspired-ads.md) - [Emotive Fried Chicken Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfcs-enjoy-its-beautiful.md) - [Burger Ad Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-kings-new-campaign.md) - [Condiment-Celebrating Hot Dog Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hot-dogs-are-not-a-contest.md) - [Silly Restaurant Chain Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/german-doner-kebab.md) - [Nostalgic Fast Food Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheeky-maccas.md) - [Fast Food-Inspired Beachy Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/leo-burnett-italia.md)